Hello, everyone! I wanted some opinions.

This summer I wanted to incorporate some of our Catholic faith into the family vacation. But we also wanted someplace where there are also other fun things that my children would like to do. They would very much enjoy seeing a Catholic shrine, but they would also like to do some other things.

We are considering Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have been there before, but the kids have not. There they have St. Joseph’s staircase (which is really amazing), La Conquistadora, plus many outdoor activities that they enjoy, such as, white water rafting, horseback riding, and we could climb The Tooth of Time. (I have climbed it before, so I know they would enjoy that mountain.) There are also many Indian pueblos to see; and the whole Southwestern culture, rich with Spanish and Indian heritage that I know they would love. There are many old Spanish missions to see, ‘ghost towns’, and museums.

So, my question is this. Before we make up our minds for certain, I would like to know if anyone knows of any other places in the US that would enable us to incorporate our Catholic faith along with fun things to do. Preferably ‘outdoorsy’ things.

Thanks in advance!

Isabel

-- Isabel (isabel@yahoo.com), January 15, 2003

Answers

I live in Santa Fe and I am a youth minister here. tell me if you are going to come!

Joe

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), January 15, 2003.

Not to discourage you come to Santa Fe, but have you ever been to Quebec City in Canada? It is a taste of europe with a lot of beautiful Catholic Shrines.

Joe

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), January 15, 2003.

Dear Isabel,

With everything you told us about Santa Fe, why would you even hesitate, or think about another place to go? Sounds absolutely wonderful to me! I always wanted to go there..The Tooth of Time sounds fascinating!

Quebec City is a place I have been and that, too, is a great place! But, I do have a special place in my heart for the Southwester culture.

Whatever you decide, enjoy! MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), January 15, 2003.

Santa Fe actually sounds great - I'd love to see that staircase sometime!

Another suggestion - you may want to consider visiting one or more of the old Missions in California. Some of them have really been beautifully restored, and here in Southern California I'm in driving distance of San Juan Capistrano, San Gabriel, San Fernando and Buenaventura Missions - enough to make a pilgrimage every weekend! ;-)

-- Christine L. :-) (christine_lehman@hotmail.com), January 15, 2003.

Joe,

I live in Santa Fe and I am a youth minister here. tell me if you are going to come!

I'll do that! Ever seen the staircase? La Conquistadora?

but have you ever been to Quebec City in Canada?

No, I haven't. But it sounds cool, though. Is there a lot to do there that kids would enjoy? Also remember, that while we love a lot of the fun stuff cities can offer, and are not abject to that, we also love outdoors. And being we live in a city, it is nice to go places on vacation that offer a variety of outdoor activities that are within decent driving distance.

MaryLu,

With everything you told us about Santa Fe, why would you even hesitate, or think about another place to go

I like to keep all my options open. :) Really, though, while I know we would have a lot of fun, I didn't know what else might be out there that I do not know of.

Christine,

I lived in Southern California for a while. I like it there, and the kids would like to go there someday, so we will have to see. I used to attend Mass at the San Juan Capistrano mission. It is very beautiful.

Thank you all!

Any other suggestions anyone?

Isabel

-- Isabel (isabel@yahoo.com), January 15, 2003.

Isabel,

To echo Christine, the California missions are very nice. My wife & I followed the mission trail North, and some of the Northern most missions are the size of a garage but seemed very faithful (were still used as churches, we saw one where immigrants were getting the kids ready for 1st communion) whereas the biggies like Capistrano are, well, big. The other nice thing about going to Capistrano is you are near San Diego and can go to the zoo, beach, rent a ski boat to cruise the harbor, etc. (Oh yeah, good Mexican food! You could also go up to L.A. to see the new cathedral, but I didn't like it much, it felt more like a museum to me than a church (the stations of the cross are in a downstairs chapel).

Another neat place is Hawaii. When we went we got to a couple of missionary-type schools, and there are actually a lot of "native" Hawaiin (don't ask) museums and palaces that we were basically the only people in and got pretty much private tours! It was a lot of fun, but more of a cultural vacation than a religious one.

East coast cities like New York and Philadelphia have lots to do in them too, and some great Cathedrals.

Really, you can't go wrong, if you look, wherever you go. I was at a meeting in San Antonio, Tx and found a mission there to go to, and picked up some good books for the kids on Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Hope this helps,

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), January 15, 2003.

Sure I have seen the staircase, it's a marvel! we also have the oldest continually usesd church in the USA with a bell from the 1300's brought over from Spain and the oldest house in teh USA from teh 12th century adjacent from teh oldest church.

Santa Fe is a very artsy place, you see and meet all kinds of people here, very eclectic.

If you come to Santa Fe and have kids you absolutly MUST see the Carlsbad caverns which are 4 & 1/2 hours south. They are an incredible wonder. Also see San Felipe de Neri church in Albuquerque built in 1796 as well as alot of missionary churches.

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), January 15, 2003.

Near quebec city is the St. Lawrence river and the 1000 lakes region with a lot of possibilities there.

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), January 15, 2003.

Joseph,

Is the 1000 lakes region the same as 1000 Islands? If so, it is worth visiting - I ask because we were there so many years ago, I don't remember too much about it, except that it is very beautiful and the sea food is out of this world - oh, the lobster is to die for!

Beautiful country! So many wonderful, beautiful places to visit in this world.

Christine, I love visiting missions and old churches too.

Isabel has a tough decision to make, but something fun to look forward to.

Isabel, I guess I asked why you would want to visit Quebec when you can go to Santa Fe because it is only 18 degrees here and the Santa Fe climate seems so appealing to me right now! :)

MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), January 15, 2003.

Cant remember if they are the same, or if I've got it mixed up!

Joe

-- Joseph Carl Biltz (jcbiltz@canoemail.com), January 15, 2003.

Isabel, we visited Quebec this summer, camping, with out 6 kids and they loved it. Montreal itself is a bit too "cosmopolitan" but there is a beautiful basilica there, Notre Dame. There is Brother Andre's St. Joseph's Oratory. The actual church is a bit modern on the inside, but the outside is gorgeous and in the area around Brother Andre's tomb you get a real feeling of peace and sanctity. Also there is a nice museum of Creches from all over the world. Below Montreal is a train museum and a place called "Parc Safari" where for one price (and in Quebec they are really good on "family rates" )you get a drive-through animal park, a small amusement park and a water park. In Quebec there are lots of beautiful churches which, for the most part, have not been "ravaged." Nice shrine of Blessed Marie of the Incarnation. North of Quebec City is Beaupre, with its shrine to St.Anne. On the way to Beaupre is a honey museum, a museum of old recording cylinders, and after Beaupre is the "Canyon St. Anne" where there are beautiful gorges which you walk over on suspension bridges. What's nice overall is that many of the towns and streets are named after saints. As I recall you like the traditional Mass - we attended one outside Montreal(town called Verdun) in a very nice neighborhood (oddly enough, it was one of the more modern churches we entered, but the Mass was lovely, said by a Fraternity of St. Peter priest. Have I sold you on Quebec yet?

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), January 15, 2003.

Hey, everyone, thanks for your suggestions.

Frank,

San Diego is definitely an option. If I can find plane tickets cheap enough. There is plenty to do there to keep the children intrigued and entertained. You see, we will probably be driving, unless I find great deals on plane tickets. And San Diego is way to far from me to drive alone with the kids, so I will have to keep an eye on those flight prices. Santa Fe is far enough, about 20 hours, but I could do that. So, Hawaii is definitely out of the question. As much as I would love to go there (I have never been), it would cost more than I can afford at present. Good suggestion, though.

I lived in San Antonio for a while, too. And while it is really neat, I think the children would enjoy Santa Fe more. I have considered some east cost cities, but since we are near the east coast, sometimes it is nice to travel in the opposite direction. :)

Joe,

I was reading on the Carlsbad Caverns. Sounds very interesting. If we come, I will leave that up to the children, though. We have been to Mammoth Cave quite a few times, and so they may want to spend time doing other things, and forgo (sp?) that 4 1/2 hour drive. :)

MaryLu,

I hear ya' about the cold weather. If it's just cold, then I don't like it well, much rather have 90 degree weather. But, if it's cold and SNOWING.....well, that's another story. We are sledding freaks in this house. If it snows an inch, we're on the hills. In fact, it just started snowing this afternoon!! Yea!!! If it covers the ground well enough we will be on the hills tomorrow night after I return from work. :) Can't wait.

cont...

-- Isabel (isabel@yahoo.com), January 16, 2003.

Christina,

Thanks for your suggestion. You very much sold me on Quebec. The only place in Canada I have been to is Vancouver. Very beautiful city. But I would love to see more of Canada. I will have to check to see how far the drive is from me, that may be a flight only trip, too, depending on airline prices. It's research time.

Thanks again everyone. Sorry for not showing my appreciation before, I haven't been able to get online at home in a while, only at work. Just by chance I tried, and it worked this time. But I won't hold my breath till the next time.

Isabel

-- Isabel (isabel@yahoo.com), January 16, 2003.

Isabel,

If you've never been there Chicago is a great place for kids too, as far as museums & stuff. It's also a lot like Gotham City IMO, LOL. Watch out though, they've got a fee, tax, toll, or gratuity on everything short of the rain. (don't know where you're coming from, but estimating based on time to NM.)

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), January 16, 2003.

Isabel, if you come to San Diego, let me know and I'll be the tour guide. We'll start with the Mission De Alcala where I was married.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), January 16, 2003.

Emerald,

If we go out to San Diego, I will be sure to let you know. Hey, I have an idea, you could be our tour guide. :) It has been so long since I've been there, I would love to have a tour guide. And you can even show me where you ate and parked your car, I wouldn't care. :)

-- Isabel (isabel@yahoo.com), January 17, 2003.

Also check out Calgary, Canada. The outdoor activities (esp in Banff) are amazing. Plus there is a wonderful FSSP priest at a church called St. Anthony's there. I may be biased though since my wife is from Calgary!

Joe

-- Joe B (joebiltz@netzero.net), January 18, 2003.

Joe,

I've never been to Calgary, but I understand it is absolutely beautiful!

ml

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), January 18, 2003.

SAN DIEGO!!!! We have everything here....You want beaches, you got it, Sea World, you got it, Huge Malls, you got it, Horseback riding, you got it, and best of all the SUN!!!.....San Diego, San Diego, San Diego...truely "America's finest City"

-- Jacob (flake777@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003.

Go for the sun, Isabel, go for the sun...it is 10 degrees here!!!!!

San Diego has the best weather in the whole country - if you don't make up your mind soon, can I take your place and go....? :)

ml

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), January 22, 2003.